Reviews

This wartime novel reflects on the life before and after the war of Frenchtown resident, Francis Cassavant. It is a short read that I enjoyed. There is a dark theme that runs through the book but it isn't intense like you would expect a war book to be. It's thought provoking and is finishes on an open ending which makes you wonder what Francis actually is going to do with his life now.

rachelcabbit's review against another edition

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4.0

Read this as it is studied as part of the GCSE syllabus at my placement school and I have to help pupils with their studies of it for intervention.
It is a fascinating story about the scars of war and the nature of what it is to be a hero.
Tragic and unflinching in its portrayal of post traumatic stress and depression in soldiers, this book is engaging and a quick read which makes it ideal for teenagers.

jawjarrr's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

elle_isobe's review against another edition

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0.25

out of all the books i’ve had to read for school this is the worse. Cormiers writing style is nothing special and the plot sucks. I hate how francis’s whole plot and character development revolves around nicole’s traumatic experience especially when there are so many aspects of war that francis’s plot line could’ve revolved around. Even if the book had redeeming aspects i cannot look past how it used nicole’s character. I’m ashamed that i have to add this to my read list just so i can leave this review

maylenehunt's review against another edition

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1.0

More like 1.5
Not my taste and had to read it for uni.

ameerah27's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

beeweekes's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

jsheppard's review against another edition

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4.0

I read this for GCSE a few year back. I remember instantly hating the book because of the first few paragraphs (and having to read it for school). However, as I read further, Robert Cormier style of writing really interested me; the characters were realistic and the themes were portrayed beautifully throughout the book and because it was not written in chronological order it allowed Cormier to slowly reveal all of the mysteries until the end.

This is a very good book for anybody who likes novels about World War Two at the home front. It makes you question what makes a hero and who, at least in the book, really is one. I really hope that I find myself reading this again one day.

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